Sampling of bacteria associated with plant vascular tissues

Abstract

The vasculature of plants is typically colonized by a wide-range of bacteria with diverse functions. These bacteria can be sampled by pooling plant biopsies in water and then concentrating cells by centrifugation. When the extracted bacteria are added as a template for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), sufficient DNA is generally liberated to facilitate the identification of specific taxa and characterization of bacterial community structure. The sampling technique facilitates surveys of multiple plants comprising a single crop, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of the crop microbiome than what can be achieved when examining single plants. This technique is rapid and cost-effective, and will help researchers monitor microbes associated with vascular tissues at various stages of crop development.